


Baghdad Waltz Annotated Bibliography

by Dreadnought



Series: Spent Brass [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Annotated Bibliography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:20:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29883093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreadnought/pseuds/Dreadnought
Summary: An annotated bibliography for Baghdad Waltz
Series: Spent Brass [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1060640
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Baghdad Waltz Annotated Bibliography

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final installment of the Spent Brass series. I’m sorry to those of you who were expecting more story, but I consider BW as complete as it’s going to get. 
> 
> The following is a select list of works consulted in writing [Baghdad Waltz](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10261136/chapters/22734353). A great deal of the research I did was highly technical (reading psychological treatment manuals and scientific research articles), so I’ve included works here that are more comprehensive and potentially relevant for individuals wishing to write about trauma or military/veteran experiences.
> 
> A number of my remarks on these references refer to sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse, though not in any explicit way.

Trauma Resources

_Beyond Betrayal: Taking Charge of Your Life After Boyhood Sexual Abuse_ , Richard B. Gartner, PhD & _Victims No Longer_ , Mike Lew

These are the first books I read about the effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) on boys and men. They describe the effects of CSA on manhood and masculinity, as well as sexual orientation. Importantly, they address concerns survivors may have, like whether being abused by a man led to being gay in adulthood, or how complex feelings abuse can be when the child may have enjoyed aspects of it (e.g., attention, closeness, positive regard, sexual gratification). These books really helped me think about how to write Bucky’s abuse in a nuanced way, in addition to conveying how confusing it can be when one’s feelings about it -- or the abuser -- are not all bad. Though I didn’t use it in this story, they also cover the issue of boys being abused by women and how this may lead to additional emotions complications given how differently culture regards this kind of abuse.

_Allies in Healing: When a Person You Love Was Sexually Abused As a Child_ , Laura Davis

I really loved this book as a primer written by someone who was both sexually abused as a child and has also helped loved ones of those who have experienced sexual abuse. It addresses different responses loved ones may have, from understanding to denial to rage, and it informed my writing of Steve’s reaction to learning about Bucky’s abuse. One thing I wanted to avoid in BW was having Steve have some standard issue woobie response, where all he feels is a bottomless well of compassion. Sounds great, I guess, but it’s hardly comprehensive and realistic. Learning of a loved one’s abuse can lead to denial, rage, despair, horror, and it could be directed in unexpected places. This is a great guide both for writing and if you have a loved one who has experienced CSA.

_The Sexual Healing Journey: A Guide for Survivors of Sexual Abuse_ , Wendy Maltz

This book presents a systematic approach to building trust and reclaiming sexuality after sexual abuse. Admittedly, I only used pieces of this in BW, sometimes just to show what happens when you DON’T use a systematic approach and how that can backfire. But if you or someone you know is attempting to reclaim sexuality after abuse, this is a wonderful guide.

_Hold me Tight_ , Sue Johnson, EdD

This is the book I referenced when thinking about Bucky and Steve’s couples therapy (in addition to a therapist manual on the subject). It’s a wonderful book in general for strengthening romantic partnerships and can also be used as a stand-alone, self-help guide for couples whether they’re seeing a therapist or not.

_Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror_ , Judith Herman, MD

Honestly, I still haven’t decided whether Bucky has complex PTSD or borderline personality disorder (BPD). I don’t know if he meets full criteria for BPD, but he certainly does have features. ANYWAY, this book is the bible for complex PTSD by one of the primary champions of it as a separate diagnosis from PTSD and BPD. In short, complex PTSD is differentiated from PTSD in part by the nature of the traumatic experience, which consists of repeated, chronic episodes of abuse or violation in a situation from which it is difficult to escape. This can include a child who cannot escape a sexually abusive home or power dynamic with a figure she has frequent contact with (e.g., a religious authority or teacher). It can also include situations such as captivity in the context of sex trafficking, being a prisoner of war or victim of kidnapping, or any number of other situations that are enduring and involve abuse of power.

Symptoms differ from PTSD in that there is a profile of symptoms includes distorted views of self (e.g., worthless, inherently damaged or dirty) and significant difficulties with regulating emotions and interpersonal relationships. This is not a comprehensive list of differences, but it’s a starting point. BPD can develop out of these types of abusive situations, and many features are similar, but abuse is not a prerequisite for the development of BPD. It can also arise from situations where there is chronic parent/child emotional misattunement, even if this never manifests in abuse.

The model of BPD suggests a biological vulnerability -- specifically, emotional sensitivity and reactivity that is just part of someone’s neurobiological makeup -- combined with an emotionally invalidating environment. I think of Bucky in this way as someone wired emotionally sensitive who experienced emotional invalidation from both of his parents in different ways -- rejection of his “femininity” and sensitivity from Winnie, emotional shutdowns (e.g., “God, don’t cry, please don’t”) from George. In this case, Winnie’s invalidation stems from misattunement and unfulfilled expectations of Bucky while George’s invalidation stems from not wanting to see his son upset because it’s painful for him (I conceptualize George as also struggling with emotional reactivity and sensitivity, in addition to severe abuse in childhood).

* * *

Military Resources

_What it is Like to Go to War,_ Karl Marlantes

This is a great guide for building understanding of the cognitive, behavioral, emotional, moral, and social impacts of going to war. It can be very difficult to understand why, for example, a Marine might insist on deploying to war again and again and again, even despite horrible experiences on these deployments. Or why someone might seem to enjoy killing and destruction, even if they may in other environments be genuinely compassionate and empathic. It also addresses the interaction between military culture and the individual. I can’t recommend this guide enough for those who wish to bring complexity and realism to their military/veteran characters. It’s also great for better understanding loved ones who may have served, depending on their experiences, as well as understanding why veterans may have difficulties reintegrating into society and relating to loved ones after leaving the military.

_Through Veterans’ Eyes: The Iraq and Afghanistan Experience_ , Larry Minear

This is a pretty great guide that explores issues specific to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It features first person insights and reports from service members and veterans who were deployed to the Middle East theater post-9/11, and it explores both the experience of deployment and issues related to reintegration.

* * *

Writing Resources

_The Emotional Craft of Fiction_ , Donald Maas

Hands down my favorite writing craft book. I’ve gotten comments about writing emotion well, and this is one of the books that helped me think more about writing emotions in unexpected, complex ways. It functions on the premise that we’re often not experiencing one emotion in situations, that we can experience primary or secondary emotions (i.e., emotions that come from having other emotions, like feeling anger for feeling shame), and that we might not express emotions the way we are feeling them. It offers helpful exercises for writers in creating engaging, evocative emotional lives for their characters that also resonate with readers.

_The Emotion Thesaurus_ , Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

This is another excellent guide for better writing emotions in characters. It explores possible physical, behavioral, and cognitive manifestations of a wide range of emotions, and when I feel like I’m overusing the same emotions cues (e.g., jaw tightening, stomach clenching), I return to this guide for more variability and ideas. I’m always working on this skill, TBH.

_Secrets of Story_ , Matt Bird

This was written as a guide for screenwriters, but it helped me think about what elements of story are gripping for readers. It helps with pacing and building connections between the reader and your characters as well. It also has a great Ultimate Story Checklist that I don’t use all of (since I’m not screenwriting) but come back to again and again for ways to tighten my work. Yes, I want to be “true to my story” and characters or whatever, but I also aim to write work that is engaging. This gave me some great food for thought.

Thanks to everyone who requested this! It was very interesting to reflect back on this after taking a step back from BW for a while. 


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